La Habana Syndicate
The''' La Habana Syndicate''' were a Cuban gang that were founded in 1952 in Havana, Cuba. The La Habana Syndicate moved to Miami, Florida, in 1959, following the Cuban Revolution, with leader Roberto Ortega employing 300 people in their rackets and estates as enforcers. The La Habana Syndicate allied with the Corleone crime family and Miami Bikers, and fought the Almeida crime family, Sicilian Mafia, and the Triads, although the Corleones occasionally took over large amounts of La Habana territory. In 1983, the Forelli crime family took over the La Habana territory. History crime ring.]]In 1952, Robert Ortega founded a gang in Havana's Ciudad Vieja, gathering a few followers. He robbed the Banco de Cuba in 1955, stealing $10,000 from the main vault and $1,000 from the cash registers. The "Ciudad Vieja Gang" took over much of the city, but in 1958, the Almeida crime family took over most of their territory when Don Esteban Almeida gained backing from the Cuban government since he was a General in the Cuban Army during the Cuban Revolution. The gang immigrated to Florida in 1959, partly because of the Rise of Almeida, but also because of opportunities in America; immigration from Cuba was beginning. Ortega did favors for travel official Henry Slater, who wanted him to take out certain political enemies in Cuba in exchange for money and a chance to go to America. Ortega headed to America on Slater's VIP jet, after doing a favor involving the murder of Arthur Terrywood, a rival politician, which is why Slater got the excuse to travel to Cuba, ostensibly to investigate the murder. Ortega made a home for himself in Deco Beach, and hired 300 enforcers using money that he gained by robbing Security Savings and Loan and Merit Credit Union, two banks, gaining $25,000. Ortega also extorted businesses belonging to Tony Rosato's Gang, and had a profitable business in the Gun Running crime ring. Ortega allied with the Corleone crime family Capo Dominic when his family moved into Miami. On February 23, 1959, the Corleones began extorting businesses belonging to Rosato and the Granados crime family, and the renamed "La Habana Syndicate" got a cut of the profit. However, the Corleones also took over La Habana rackets, keeping relations very friendly, although the La Habana Gang lost dozens of enforcers to Corleone mob wars. They also fought with the Almeidas when they moved their organization to Miami, although the Almeidas had to conquer businesses, as all of their protection rackets were back in Havana. Ortega had the high ground, as the Almeidas were out of range from political protection by Presidente Fidel Castro, and the La Habana Syndicate also fought against the Forellis, Triads, and the various minor gangs that controlled the streets. In the 1970s, the La Habana Syndicate lost most of its businesses, and their crime ring was dislocated when the Forellis took over one of their Gun Running rackets. No longer reaping the benefits of mastering a full crime ring, the La Habana Gang's enforcers became weakened, as they lost their incendiary bullets, and their men were murdered one by one, and could not be replaced due to a lack in income. Ortega was murdered in 1983 in a Forelli attack on his apartment, where the last of his enforcers were also holed up. His whole gang was destroyed. Category:Cuban crime families Category:Families Category:Gangs